Albany Co. Republicans want in-person public hearings

Chairman said request can not be done safely

ALBANY – Republicans in the county legislature want to delay two public hearings on Democratic-backed bills until the hearings can be held in person again.

In a statement, Minority Leader Frank Mauriello said his conference was concerned that digital public hearings on “non-critical” issues might limit public access and input.

“Remote public hearings lack the much-needed transparency of in-person hearings, mostly due to technical limitations and difficulties that compromise the public’s ability to participate,” Mauriello said. “Zoom is helpful in some instances, but it’s not a reliable or efficient way to hear from members of our community.”

Instead, Mauriello proposed moving the hearings to a large, public space, such as the Times Union Center.

Legislative Chairman Andrew Joyce, a Democrat, rejected the idea outright, saying it would put members of the public at risk as well as legislators who might be considered especially vulnerable to the coronavirus.

"There's no way we can safely do an in-person public hearing," he said. "I think its not only disrespectful to the public but also to their colleagues."

The legislature is set to have two public hearings Tuesday, one on an attempt to fix its previously deficient law that would implement an additional five-cent fee on single-use paper bags, and the other a hearing on a law that would ban any new waste incinerators in the county.

At the legislature’s last regular meeting, the public comment period had several callers who either hung up or couldn’t be heard by legislators.

Other local governments have had their struggles with public input during Zoom meetings. In Berne, an April public hearing was interrupted by residents’ poor internet connections and Zoom ‘bombers’ in which a group of strangers began typing in Spanish in the chat.

The popularity of Zoom and other teleconferencing apps has soared since social distancing for the coronavirus forced many employers to have employees work at home and use such apps for group meetings.

But the programs have been plagued by embarrassing situations — and in some cases hackers have spewed racist remarks. Webcams used on the conferences have caught everything from parents yelling at their children to people appearing nude when they thought the video function was switched off.